Search

[Display omitted] • A green and scalable emulsion spray-coating technique is developed to prepare foam composites. • The foam composite possesses exterior superhydrophobicity and interior hydrophilicity. • ACNTs are decorated onto the skeleton of the foam with strong interfacial adhesion. • The foam composite possesses excellent corrosion resistance and durability. • Photothermally induced crude oil cleanup with a high efficiency is achieved. Chemical spills, especially oil spills, are becoming an increasingly serious environmental issue. It remains a challenge to develop green techniques to prepare mechanically robust oil–water separation materials, especially those capable of separating high-viscosity crude oils. Herein, we propose an environmentally friendly emulsion spray-coating method to fabricate durable foam composites with asymmetric wettability for oil–water separation. After the emulsion, composed of acidified carbon nanotubes (ACNTs), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and its curing agent, is sprayed onto melamine foam (MF), water in the emulsion is first evaporated, while PDMS and ACNTs are finally deposited on the foam skeleton. The foam composite exhibits gradient wettability and turns from superhydrophobicity of the top surface (the water contact angle reaches as high as 155.2°) to hydrophilicity of the interior region. The foam composite can be used for the separation of oils with different densities and has a 97% separation efficiency for chloroform. In particular, the photothermal conversion-induced temperature rise can reduce the oil viscosity and complete the high-efficiency cleanup of crude oil. This emulsion spray-coating technique and asymmetric wettability show promise for the green and low-cost fabrication of high-performance oil/water separation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solar-based interface evaporation (SIE) is a green, efficient and cost-effective technique to harvest fresh water. 3D solar evaporators show their unique advantages in gaining energy from environment and hence possess a higher evaporation rate than 2D evaporators. However, much effort is still required to develop mechanically robust and superhydrophilic 3D evaporators with strong water transportation capability and salt-rejection performance, and at the same time reveal how they gain energy from environment via the natural evaporation. In this work, a novel carbon nanofiber reinforced carbon aerogel (CNFA) is prepared for the SIE. The CNFA has a high light absorption up to 97.2% and outstanding photothermal conversion performance. The heteroatom doping and hierarchically porous structure endow the CNFA with superhydrophilicity and thus powerful water transportation capability and salt rejection performance. Benefiting from synergy of the SIE and side wall induced natural evaporation, the CNFA evaporator exhibits a high evaporation rate and efficiency (as high as 3.82 kg m-2h−1 and 95.5%, respectively) with long-term stability and durability. The CNFA can also work normally in high-salinity and corrosive seawater. This study demonstrates a new method to fabricate all-carbon aerogel solar evaporators and provides insights for the effective thermal management during the interface evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The one-way transportation of liquids plays an important role in smart and wearable electronics. Here, we report an asymmetric nanofibrous membrane (ANM) with unidirectional water transport (UWT) capability by integrating one superhydrophilic MXene/Chitosan/Polyurethane (PU) nanofiber membrane (MCPNM) and one ultrathin hydrophobic PU/Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) layer with a "bead-on-string" structure. The UWT performance shows long-term stability and can be well maintained during the cyclic stretching, abrasion and ultrasonic washing tests. The ANM exhibits negative temperature coefficient and is served as a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature variation of the environment, which can provide efficient alarm signals in a hot or cold condition. When attached on person's skin, the ANM displays a unique anti-gravity UWT behavior. The stretchable, wearable and multi-functional nanofibrous composite membrane with an asymmetric wettability shows potential applications in flexible and wearable electronics, health monitoring, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A hydrophobic macro/ meso porous carbon nanofiber (HPCNF) membrane is prepared. • The HPCNF exhibits a high sunlight absorption and a large contact angle. • A high interfacial solar evaporation rate is achieved. • The HPCNF has excellent salt-rejection and hence long-term evaporation stability. • Solar desalination can be conducted in high salinity and corrosive conditions. Interfacial evaporation has recently received great interest from both academia and industry to harvest fresh water from seawater, due to its low cost, sustainability and high efficiency. However, state-of-the-art solar absorbers usually face several issues such as weak corrosion resistance, salt accumulation and hence poor long-term evaporation stability. Herein, a hydrophobic and porous carbon nanofiber (HPCNF) is prepared by combination of the porogen sublimation and fluorination. The HPCNF possessing a macro/ meso porous structure exhibits large contact angles (as high as 145°), strong light absorption and outstanding photo-thermal conversion performance. When the HPCNF is used as the solar absorber, the evaporation rate and efficiency can reach up to 1.43 kg m−2h−1 and 87.5% under one sunlight irradiation, respectively. More importantly, the outstanding water proof endows the absorber with superior corrosion resistance and salt rejection performance, and hence the interfacial evaporation can maintain a long-term stability and proceed in a variety of complex conditions. The HPCNFs based interfacial evaporation provides a new avenue to the high efficiency solar steam generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electrically conductive fiberfibre/fabric composites (ECFCs) are competitive candidates for use in wearable electronics. Therefore, it is essential to develop mechanically robust ECFC strain sensors with sensing performance. In this study, MXene assembly and hot-pressing were combined to prepare strong yet breathable ECFCs for strain and temperature sensing. Hydrogen bonding between MXene and polyurethane (PU) and ultrasonication-induced interfacial sintering were responsible for MXene nanosheets assembly on the PU nanofibers. MXene decoration made PU nanofibers electrically conductive, resulting in a conductive network. Hot-pressing improved interface adhesion among the conductive nanofibers. Thus, the mechanical properties of the nanofiber composites, including tensile strength, toughness and fracture energy, were enhanced. The nanofiber composites exhibited surface stability and durability. When the nanofiber composites were used as strain sensors, they showed breathability with a linear resistance response ranging from 1 % to 100 % and cycling stability. In addition, they produced stable sensing signals over 1000 cycles when a notch was present. They could also monitor temperature variations with a negative temperature coefficient (−0.146 %/°C). This study provides an interfacial regulation method for the preparation of multi-functional nanofiber composites with potential applications in flexible and wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that early-life exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with an increasing risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, the specific sensitive period of ASD is unknown. Here, a model of dynamic whole-body concentrated PM2.5 exposure in pre- and early-postnatal male offspring rats (MORs) was established. And we found that early postnatal PM2.5 exposed rats showed more typical ASD behavioral characteristics than maternal pregnancy exposure rats, including poor social interaction, novelty avoidance and anxiety disorder. And more severe oxidative stress and inflammatory responses were observed in early postnatal PM2.5 exposed rats. Moreover, the expression level of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) was down-regulated and the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT were up-regulated in early postnatal PM2.5 exposed rats. This study suggests that early postnatal exposure to PM2.5 is more susceptible to ASD-like phenotype in offspring than maternal pregnancy exposure and the activation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway may represent underlying mechanisms. • Early postnatal PM2.5 exposure induced more pronounced ASD-like phenotype in male offspring rats than maternal exposure. • Early postnatal period may be a sensitive window for PM2.5 to trigger autism spectrum disorder development. • PM2.5 exposure caused neuroinflammation and reduced anti-inflammatory melatonin levels in offspring rat brains. • PI3K-AKT pathway activation may link developmental PM2.5 exposure and autism spectrum disorder pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TGR5, p-PKA, and NLRP3-ASC inflammasome were increased and peaked at 24 h after SAH. • INT-777 administration reduced NLRP3-ASC inflammasome in activated microglia after SAH. • INT-777 alleviates delayed neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus after SAH. • INT-777 suppressed NLRP3‐ASC-mediated inflammation via TGR5/cAMP/PKA pathway after SAH. Inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of early brain injury (EBI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The activation of the TGR5 receptor has been shown to be neuroprotective in a variety of neurological diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the specific synthetic TGR5 agonist, INT-777, in attenuating NLRP3-ASC inflammasome activation and reducing neuroinflammation after SAH. One hundred and eighty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were used. SAH was induced by the endovascular perforation. INT-777 was administered intranasally at 1 h after SAH induction. To elucidate the signaling pathway involved in the effect of INT-777 on inflammasome activation during EBI, TGR5 knockout CRISPR and PKA inhibitor H89 were administered intracerebroventricularly and intraperitoneally at 48 h and 1 h before SAH. The SAH grade, short- and long-term neurobehavioral assessments, brain water content, western blot, immunofluorescence staining, and Nissl staining were performed. The expressions of endogenous TGR5, p-PKA, and NLRP3-ASC inflammasome were increased after SAH. INT-777 administration significantly decreased NLRP3-ASC inflammasome activation in microglia, reduced brain edema and neuroinflammation, leading to improved short-term neurobehavioral functions at 24 h after SAH. The administration of TGR5 CRISPR or PKA inhibitor (H89) abolished the anti-inflammation effects of INT-777, on NLRP3-ASC inflammasome, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-a), and neutrophil infiltration at 24 h after SAH. Moreover, early administration of INT-777 attenuated neuronal degeneration in hippocampus on 28 d after SAH. INT-777 attenuated NLRP3-ASC inflammasome-dependent neuroinflammation in the EBI after SAH, partially via TGR5/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Early administration of INT-777 may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for EBI management in the setting of SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with the spectral problem { d ϕ 1 (x) = ϕ 2 (x) d h (x) , d ϕ 2 (x) = ϕ 3 (x) d g (x) , d ϕ 3 (x) = − λ ϕ 1 (x) d x , x ∈ (− 1 , 1) , ϕ 2 (− 1) = 0 , ϕ 3 (− 1) = 0 , ϕ 3 (1) = 0 , which is associated with the two-component Novikov equation. The coefficients g and h are functions of bounded variation. The first aim is to prove the continuous dependence of the n -th eigenvalue on the coefficients g and h with different topologies; in addition, we discuss the Fréchet differentiability of the algebraically simple eigenvalues on the coefficients g , h with respect to the norm topology of total variations. Secondly, utilizing the theory of oscillatory (non-symmetric) kernels, conditions on g , h under which the spectrum is nonnegative and algebraically simple are obtained. Finally, we solve the extremal problems of the lowest nonzero eigenvalue, when the norm ‖ ⋅ ‖ V of the coefficients g , h is given. The latter can be seen as an application of our first two main results and the trace formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRAFD1 negatively regulates TLR and RLR signaling in human and mammal; however, its role in teleost fish remains unknown. In this paper, the TRAFD1 homologue has been cloned and characterized from black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus). Black carp TRAFD1 (bcTRAFD1) consists of 567 amino acids and shows low similarity to that of mammalian TRAFD1, which has been identified as a cytosolic protein through immunofluorescence staining. When co-expressed with bcTRAFD1, the IFN promoter-inducing ability of black carp MAVS (bcMAVS) was obviously dampened in the luciferase reporter assay. Accordingly, bcMAVS-mediated antiviral activity against grass carp reovirus (GCRV) and spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) was potently repressed by bcTRAFD1 in plaque assay. And the co-immunoprecipitation assay between bcTRAFD1 and bcMAVS has identified the association between these two molecules. Thus, our data supports the conclusion that bcTRAFD1 interacts with bcMAVS and negatively regulates bcMAVS-mediated antiviral signaling during the innate immune activation, which sheds a light on the regulation of MAVS in teleost. • bcTRAFD1 dampens the IFN promoter-inducing ability of bcMAVS. • bcMAVS-mediated antiviral activity was potently repressed by bcTRAFD1. • bcTRAFD1 interacts with bcMAVS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we generalize the implicit variational principle in [9] from autonomous contact Hamiltonian systems in T ⁎ M × R with M is a compact Riemannian manifold to the non-autonomous systems with M is a complete Riemannian manifold. We also give some important properties of action minimizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the repair effect and mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on injured kidneys caused by hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)). Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0.4 mg/kg•bw Cr (VI) ion solution. After 30 days, 1 × 107 BMSCs were transplanted into rats. After cell transplantation for 2 weeks, there was no significant difference in the chromium content between the model and BMSCs-therapy group by atomic absorption spectrometry. In BMSCs-therapy group, the renal organ index, the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CRE), malonaldehyde (MDA) content were significantly decreased, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly elevated, and the pathological changes were improved compared with the model group. The results of immunohistochemical and western blot assays showed that the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Cytochrome c, and Caspase-3, as well as autophagy-associated proteins Beclin 1, PINK1, Parkin, p-Parkin, LC3B, and the MAPK signaling pathway, including the ratio of p-p38 to p38 and p-JNK to JNK were all significantly decreased, Bcl-2 and p62 expressions, and the ratio of p-ERK to ERK were significantly elevated in BMSCs-therapy group compared with the model group. These results suggested that BMSCs repaired Cr (VI)-injured kidney through decreasing mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and mitophagy mediated by downregulating phosphorylation of p38 and JNK, upregulating phosphorylation of ERK. • The hexavalent chromium can accumulate in kidneys and result in kidneys injury in rats. • BMSCs transplantation can repair Cr (VI)-injured kidneys. • The possible mechanism is that BMSCs reduce mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and mitophagy mediated by the MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Heavy metal soil contamination is a major environmental concern in China and has drawn significant public attention in recent years. The present study assessed the human health risk of four heavy metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc) through soil exposure and dietary intake in the watershed of Xi River, west of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, northeast China. Concentrations of Cd, Pb, Hg, and Zn were determined in 411 soil samples and 59 crop samples collected from this area. The health risks of heavy metal exposure via soil ingestion, inhalation, dermal contact, and dietary intake of crops were further estimated; total hazard index values were 1.15, 1.33, and 2.03 for the adult male, adult female, and children, respectively, and the total cancer risk was 3.7 × 10−3 for the local residents. Among the four investigated heavy metals, Cd was the primary pollutant posing health risks. The estimated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks posed by the studied heavy metals were above the acceptable levels proposed by the U.S. EPA. Dietary intake of contaminated crops was identified as the predominant pathway for human heavy metal exposure in this area, suggesting that soil heavy metals can cause more harm when transported to the food chain. Overall, our findings suggest that the Xi River watershed is unsuitable for growing agricultural products, and more effective controls should be taken to curb future heavy metal pollution in the area. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • The Xi River located in Shenyang, Northeast China is severely polluted by industry. • Irrigation using Xi River as water source lead to heavy metal soil pollution. • Contamination of Cd, Pb, Hg, and Zn in soil and crops from the area were examined. • Cd was the primary pollutant and dietary intake contributed the most to health risk. • Health risks posed by the heavy metals were above acceptable levels set by U.S. EPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Britannin (Bri), isolated from Inula aucheriana, is a sesquiterpene lactone (SL), a class of secondary metabolites. Previous studies have suggested the anti-cancer potential of Bri; however, the molecular mechanism remains elusive. The present study investigated the effects of Bri on liver cancer progression. Our findings indicated that Bri significantly suppressed the growth of liver cancer cell lines. Mechanistic researches revealed that Bri induced apoptosis through the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, as evidenced by the increase of Caspase-8, -9 and -3 cleavages. In addition, Bri-triggered autophagy in liver cancer cells, supported by the up-regulation of light chain 3 (LC3) II, p62, autophagy-related 5 (ATG5) and Beclin 1, as well as the occurrence of autophagic vacuoles. Importantly, Bri increased AMPK activation, while decreased the activity of its down-streaming signal, mTOR. Of note, suppression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation using its inhibitor, Compound C, could inhibit both apoptosis and autophagy induced by Bri. Furthermore, Bri was found to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in hepatic cancer cells. Notably, reducing ROS production by its scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), could down-regulate p-AMPK levels, while up-regulate the phosphorylated mechanistic target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) expressions, accompanied with the restored cell viability, as well as the reduced apoptosis and autophagy in Bri-treated liver cancer cells. Finally, Bri inhibited the tumor growth in vivo without side effects. In conclusion, our study illustrated that Bri could induce apoptosis and autophagy by activating AMPK regulated by ROS in liver cancer cells, supplying molecular bases for developing Bri into an effective candidate against liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel chymotrypsin inhibitor, which detected in the seed of wild emmer wheat ( Triticum dicoccoides ), was purified by ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and Ultracentrifugation. On the basis of its specificity, this inhibitor was named WeCI (wild emmer chymotrypsin inhibitor). SDS-PAGE analysis displayed that the purified WeCI is a single chain polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 13 kDa. The inhibition constants (K i ) for amylase and bovine pancreatic chymotrypsin were 1.12 × 10 − 9 M and 2.41 × 10 − 9 M, respectively. Automated sequencing and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that WeCI is a neutral monomeric protein consisting of 119 residues. In vitro, WeCI strongly suppressed bovine pancreatic chymotrypsin as well as chymotrypsin-like activities separated from the midgut of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua. No inhibitory activities were found against bovine pancreatic trypsin, bacterial subtilisin, or porcine pancreatic elastase. The primary structure of WeCI was markedly similar (46–95%) to those of several proteins belonging to the wheat crop chymotrypsin/α-amylase inhibitor superfamily and displayed the typical sequence motif of the α-amylase inhibitor–seed storage protein group. WeCI significantly inhibited the growth and development of Spodoptera exigua , dependent on inhibitor concentration. WeCI significantly increased the mortality rate of Spodoptera exigua and caused a significant decrease in its fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the acute (72 h and 14 d) and chronic (28 d and 8 weeks) effects of cyfluthrin on earthworms were evaluated across different endpoints, which are mortality, growth, reproduction and enzyme activities. Cyfluthrin was rated as moderately toxic in 72-h filter paper test and low toxic in 14-day soil test. The exposure of earthworms to cyfluthrin-polluted soil for 8 weeks showed that growth of earthworms was inhibited by cyfluthrin, cocoon production and hatching were inhibited by 20–60 mg/kg cyfluthrin. Moreover, 28-day soil test on the responses of enzymes associated with antioxidation and detoxification showed that the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione S- transferase (GST) were initially increased by cyfluthrin at 5–20 mg/kg, but reduced at 30–60 mg/kg, peroxidase (POD) was increased by 26–102% by cyfluthrin in the early period, except 5 mg/kg on day 7, and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) was increased by 29–335% by cyfluthrin after 3 days. Cyfluthrin degraded with a half-life of 24.8–34.8 d, showing the inconsistency between the continuous toxic responses of earthworms and degradation of cyfluthrin in soil. The variable responses of these indexes indicated that different level endpoints should be jointly considered for better evaluation of the environmental risk of contaminants in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sterile triploid hybrids (3n = 150) of gold fish ( Carassius auratus red var ., ♀, 2n = 100) and allotetroploid (♂, 2n = 100) display obviously improved disease resistance and much enhanced growth rate than their parents, which have been cultured widely in China. In this paper, one of the type I IFNs of triploid hybrid (3nIFNa2) has been cloned and characterized. The full-length cDNA of 3nIFNa2 gene consists of 715 nucleotides and the predicted 3nIFNa2 contains 183 amino acids. The transcription of 3nIFNa2 gene was detected in all the examined tissues of triploid hybrid and the mRNA level of 3nIFNa2 was obviously enhanced in response to SVCV and GCRV infection. 3nIFNa2 has been detected in the whole cell lysate of HEK293T cells transfected with plasmids expressing 3nIFNa2 but not in the supernatant media. EPC cells transfected with plasmid expressing 3nIFNa2 at 24 h before SVCV and GCRV infection showed obviously decreased cytopathic effect; and the virus titers in the supernatant media were much lower than those of the control cells. Glycosidase digestion analysis demonstrates that 3nIFNa2 is modified with N-linked glycosylation, which occurs on the asparagine (N) of residue 177 of this cytokine. The un-glycosylated mutant 3nIFNa2-N177Q shows the similar antiviral ability as that of 3nIFNa2, which suggests that the N-linked glycosylation does not contribute directly to its antiviral property. All the above data support the conclusion that 3nIFNa2 is an intracellular cytokine functioning importantly in host antiviral innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down-regulation of intestinal P-glycoprotein (P-gp) by soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (SOLE) may cause elevated intestinal permeability of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in patients with total parenteral nutrition, but the appropriate preventative treatment is currently limited. Recently, sodium butyrate (NaBut) has been demonstrated to regulate the expression of P-gp. Therefore, this study aimed to address whether treatment with NaBut could attenuate SOLE-induced increase in intestinal permeability of LPS by modulation of P-gp in vitro . Caco-2 cells were exposed to SOLE with or without NaBut. SOLE-induced down-regulation of P-gp was significantly attenuated by co-incubation with NaBut. Nuclear recruitment of FOXO 3a in response to NaBut was involved in P-gp regulation. Transport studies revealed that SOLE-induced increase in permeability of LPS was significantly attenuated by co-incubation with NaBut. Collectively, our results suggested that NaBut may be a potentially useful medication to prevent SOLE-induced increase in intestinal permeability of LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) is as an adaptor in RIG-I like receptor (RLR) signaling, which plays the key role in interferon (IFN) production during host antiviral innate immune activation. MAVS is fine tuned to avoid excess IFN production, which have been extensively studied in human and mammals. However, the regulation of MAVS in teleost still remains obscure. In this manuscript, we cloned ring finger protein 5 (bcRNF5) of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) and characterized this teleost E3 ubiquitin ligase as a negative regulator of MAVS. The coding region of bcRNF5 consists of 615 nucleotides which encode 205 amino acids, containing two trans -membrane domain (TM) and a ring-finger domain (RING). The transcription regulation of bcRNF5 varies in host cells in response to stimulations of LPS, poly (I:C), grass carp reovirus (GCRV) and spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV). bcRNF5 migrates around 22 KDa in immunoblot (IB) assay and distributes mainly in cytoplasm by immunofluorescent (IF) staining test. Moreover, bcRNF5 significantly inhibits bcMAVS-mediated IFN promoter transcription. In addition, both IF and co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that bcRNF5 interacts with bcMAVS. Furthermore, bcMAVS-mediated antiviral ability is distinctly impaired by bcRNF5. Taken together, these results conclude that bcRNF5, as a negative regulator of the MAVS-mediated IFN signaling, may play a key role in host protection upon virus infection in black carp. • bcRNF5 interacts with bcMAVS. • bcRNF5 attenuates bcMAVS-mediated IFN production. • bcRNF5 dampens bcMAVS-mediated antiviral activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient ozone (O 3) pollution can induce respiratory and cardiovascular toxicity. However, its impact on the metabolome and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study first investigated the serum metabolite changes in rats exposed to 0.5 ppm O 3 for 3 months using untargeted metabolomic approach. Results showed chronic ozone exposure significantly altered the serum levels of 34 metabolites with potential increased risk of digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, bile acid synthesis and secretion, and arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism became the most prominent affected metabolic pathways after O 3 exposure. Further studies on the mechanisms found that the elevated serum toxic bile acid was not due to the increased biosynthesis in the liver, but the reduced reuptake from the portal vein to hepatocytes owing to repressed Ntcp and Oatp1a1 , and the decreased bile acid efflux in hepatocytes as a results of inhibited Bsep , Ostalpha and Ostbeta. Meanwhile, decreased expressions of detoxification enzyme of SULT2A1 and the important regulators of FXR, PXR and HNF4α also contributed to the abnormal bile acids. In addition, O 3 promoted the conversion of AA into thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and 20-hydroxyarachidonic acid (20-HETE) in the liver by up-regulation of Fads2 , Cyp4a and Tbxas1 which resulting in decreased AA and linoleic acid (LA), and increased thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and 20-HETE in the serum. Furthermore, apparent hepatic chronic inflammation, fibrosis and abnormal function were found in ozone-exposed rats. These results indicated chronic ozone exposure could alter serum metabolites by interfering their metabolism in the liver, and inducing liver injury to aggravate metabolic disorders. [Display omitted] • Subchronic O 3 induces characteristic changes in serum metabolites of rats especially bile acids and arachidonic acid. • O 3 reduces reuptake of bile acids from the portal vein to hepatocytes by repressing Ntcp and Oatp1a1. • O 3 decreases bile acid efflux in hepatocytes by inhibiting Bsep, Ostalpha and Ostbeta. • O 3 promotes the conversion of AA into TXA2 and 20-HETE by up-regulating Fads2 , Cyp4a and Tbxas1 in liver. • O 3 induces hepatic inflammation, fibrosis and function disturbance which may mutually reinforce with abnormal metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mx (myxovirus resistance) is an important antiviral protein in the innate immune responses of vertebrates to microbial pathogens. In this study, we cloned and characterized Mx1 of black carp ( Mylopharyngodon piceus ). The full-length cDNA of black carp Mx1 (bcMx1) consists of 2781 nucleotides and the predicted bcMx1 protein contains 631 amino acids. bcMx1 contains a GTPase domain at the N-terminnus, a “central interactive domain” in the middle and a GTPase effector domain at the C-terminus. bcMx1 mRNA was constitutively transcribed in all tissues tested, including the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, intestine, muscle, skin and gill; and bcMx1 mRNA levels increased in all but the gill after grass carp reovirus (GCRV) or viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) infection. Quantitative PCR analysis of Mylopharyngodon piceus fin (MPF) cells indicated that bcMx1 mRNA levels increased after GCRV or SVCV infection at different multiplicities of infection (MOI). Western blotting demonstrated that the molecular weight of bcMx1 is ∼75 kDa and immunofluorescent staining data of both HeLa cells and EPC cells showed that bcMx1 is a cytosolic protein. EPC cells transfected with plasmid expressing bcMx1 showed increased antiviral activity against SVCV and GCRV. All our data suggest that bcMx1 is an antiviral protein in the innate immune response of the black carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) detect cytosolic RNA virus components and initiate antiviral innate immune response through downstream signaling in vertebrates. In this paper, LGP2 of black carp ( Mylopharyngodon piceus ) has been cloned and characterized, which is a key member of RLR family. The full-length cDNA of black carp LGP2 (bcLGP2) comprises 2941 nucleotides and the predicted bcLGP2 protein contains 682 amino acids. bcLGP2 shares core homologous structural domains of RLRs, including a N-terminnal DExD/H helicase domain, a helicase superfamily c-terminal domain, and a C-terminal regulatory domain (CTD). bcLGP2 mRNA was constitutively detected in all selected tissues including heart, liver, spleen, kidney, intestine, muscle, skin, gill; and bcLGP2 mRNA level was increased in all the tissues except gill in response to GCRV or SVCV infection. Q-PCR of Mylopharyngodon piceus fin (MPF) cells demonstrated that bcLGP2 transcription was up-regulated by Poly (I:C) treatment, GCRV or SVCV infection, but not by LPS or PMA treatment. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the molecular weight of bcLGP2 was around 80 KDa; and the immunofluorescence staining of both HeLa cells and EPC cells showed that bcLGP2 was a cytosolic protein. EPC cells transfected with plasmid expressing bcLGP2 showed obviously improved antiviral ability against SVCV and GCRV. In general, these data support the conclusion that bcLGP2 functions importantly in the host antiviral innate immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triploid hybrid of gold fish ( Carassius auratus red var ., ♀, 2n = 100) and allotetroploid (♂, 2n = 100) displays much improved disease resistance than its parents. In this paper, one of the type I IFNs of triploid hybrid (3nIFNa) has been cloned and characterized. The full-length cDNA of 3nIFNa consists of 740 nucleotides and the predicted 3nIFNa protein contains 183 amino acids. The mRNA transcription of 3nIFNa was detected in all the selected tissues of triploid hybrid and was obviously enhanced after SVCV or GCRV infection. bcIFNa was detected in both whole cell lysate and supernatant media of HEK293T cells transfected with plasmids expressing bcIFNa. It is interesting that the pre-matured 3nIFNa is modified with N-linked glycosylation, which is located within the N-terminal signal peptide. EPC cells showed much-decreased cytopathic effect when treated with 3nIFNa-containing media or transfected with plasmid expressing 3nIFNa at 24 h before SVCV or GCRV infection; and the virus titers in these cells were much lower than those of the control EPC cells. All the above data support the conclusion that 3nIFNa is a secreted cytokine functioning in host innate immune response against virus invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the pathogenesis of autoimmune myocarditis induced by PD-1 inhibitors and their potential therapeutic targets. Mouse models of autoimmune myocarditis induced by PD-1 inhibitor in mouse models of polymyositis were established. The expression level of PD-1 and regulatory T cells (Tregs), CD4, CD8 + T cells, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy-related factors, including IL-6, TGF-β, AMA-M2, Fas/FasL, LC3 and p62 were detected in peripheral blood , muscle or myocardium of mice in each group, using ELISA, RT-PCR, Western Blot and immunofluorescence. In addition, HE and TUNEL staining and ultrastructural scanning were performed on the myocardium of mice in each group. Results showed that the expression level of PD-1 in the two myositis groups was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the level of PD-1 was lower in the myocarditis group than that in the polymyositis group. In the myocardium, TGF-β, p62, and Tregs proportion showed the same expression level trend as PD-1, while CD8, IL-6, IL-10 and LC3 showed the opposite trend. Levels of Fas/FasL were significantly higher in both myositis groups, but were slightly lower in the myocarditis group, as was AMA-M2. Inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy were observed in both myositis groups, but were more severe in the myocarditis group. In summary, the decreased expression level of PD-1 leads to decreased Tregs level in the myocardium, aggravated inflammatory response, apoptosis and autophagy, which may be the pathological mechanism of myocarditis induced by PD-1 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor forkhead box D3 (FOXD3), widely studied as a transcriptional repressor in embryogenesis, participates in the carcinogenesis of many cancers. However, the expression pattern and role of FOXD3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been well characterized. We report that FOXD3 is significantly downregulated in NSCLC cell lines and clinical tissues. FOXD3 overexpression significantly inhibits cell growth and results in G1 cell cycle arrest in NSCLC A549 and H1299 cells. In a xenograft tumor model, FOXD3 overexpression inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis. Remarkably, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was reduced in FOXD3 overexpression models both in vitro and in vivo . These findings suggest that FOXD3 plays a potential tumor suppressor role in NSCLC progression and represents a promising clinical prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement stabilization is used extensively to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals. However, previous studies suggest that the elevated zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) concentrations in the contaminated soils would substantially retard the cement hydration, leading to the deterioration of the performance of cement stabilized soils. This study presents a new binder, KMP, composed of oxalic acid-activated phosphate rock, monopotassium phosphate and reactive magnesia. The effectiveness of stabilization using this binder is investigated on soils spiked with Zn and Pb, individually and together. Several series of tests are conducted including toxicity characteristic leaching (TCLP), ecotoxicity in terms of luminescent bacteria test and unconfined compressive strength. The leachability of a field Zn- and Pb- contaminated soil stabilized with KMP is also evaluated by TCLP leaching test. The results show that the leached Zn concentrations are lower than the China MEP regulatory limit except when Zn and Pb coexist and for the curing time of 7 days. On the other hand, the leached Pb concentrations for stabilized soils with Pb alone or mixed Zn and Pb contamination are much lower than the China MEP or USEPA regulatory limit, irrespective of the curing time. The luminescent bacteria test results show that the toxicity of the stabilized soils has been reduced considerably and is classified as slightly toxic class. The unconfined compressive strength of the soils decrease with the increase in the Zn concentration. The stabilized soils with mixed Zn and Pb contaminants exhibit notably higher leached Zn concentration, while there is lower unconfined compressive strength relative to the soils when contaminated with Zn alone. The X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analyses reveal the presence of bobierrite (Mg3(PO4) 2·8H2O) and K-struvite (MgKPO4·6H2O) as the main products formed in the KMP stabilized uncontaminated soils; the formation of hopeite (Zn3(PO4) 2·4H2O), scholzite (CaZn2(PO4) 2·2H2O), zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2), and fluoropyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3F) in the soils are the main mechanisms for immobilization of Zn and Pb with the KMP binder. The change in the relative quantities of the formed phosphate-based products, with respect to the Zn concentration and presence of mixed Zn and Pb contaminants, can well explain the measured impact of the Zn concentration levels and presence of both Zn and Pb contaminants on the unconfined compressive strength of the KMP stabilized soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial contractile dysfunction is associated with a prominent decrease in myofilament Ca 2 + sensitivity, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully clarified. Phosphorylation of ventricular myosin light chain 2 (MLC-2v) facilitates actin–myosin interactions and enhances contractility, however, its level and regulation by cardiac MLC kinase (cMLCK) and cMLC phosphatase (cMLCP) in I/R hearts are debatable. In this study, the levels and/or effects of MLC-2v phosphorylation, cMLCK, cMLCP, and proteases during I/R were determined. Global myocardial I/R-suppressed cardiac performance in isolated rat hearts was concomitant with decreases of MLC-2v phosphorylation, myofibrillar Ca 2 + -stimulated ATPase activity, and cMLCK content, but not cMLCP proteins. Consistently, simulated I/R in isolated cardiomyocytes inhibited cell shortening, Ca 2 + transients, MLC-2v phosphorylation, and myofilament sensitivity to Ca 2 + . These observations were reversed by cMLCK overexpression, while the specific cMLCK knockdown by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) had the opposite effect. Moreover, the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, a zinc-dependent endopeptidase) reversed IR-decreased cMLCK, MLC-2v phosphorylation, myofibrillar Ca 2 + -stimulated ATPase activity, myocardial contractile function, and myofilament sensitivity to Ca 2 + , while the inhibition or knockdown of cMLCK by ML-9 or specific shRNA abolished MMP-2 inhibition-induced cardioprotection. Finally, the co-localization in cardiomyocytes and interaction in vivo of MMP-2 and cMLCK were observed. Purified recombinant rat cMLCK was concentration- and time-dependently degraded by rat MMP-2 in vitro, and this was prevented by the inhibition of MMP-2. These findings reveal that the I/R-activated MMP-2 leads to the degradation of cMLCK, resulting in a reduction of MLC-2v phosphorylation, and myofibrillar Ca 2 + -stimulated ATPase activity, which subsequently suppresses myocardial contractile function through a decrease of myofilament Ca 2 + sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the spectral properties of the Sturm–Liouville operators generated by the differential expression L ( y ) = 1 w ( − ( p ( x ) y ′ ) ′ + υ ( x ) y ) with singular coefficients υ ( x ) in the sense of distributions. In particular, we study the operators with δ -type point interactions at the centers x k on the positive half line in terms of energy forms. Necessary and sufficient conditions and also simple sufficient conditions are given for the spectrum of the operators to be discrete. We also prove sufficient conditions on the stability of the continuous spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Currently, several large studies showed that roflumilast has been demonstrated efficacy during treatment chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, but also caused some side effects. Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of roflumilast in COPD patients. Methods: A computerized search through electronic databases included PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane clinical trials database, Physiotherapy Evidence Database and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed to identify randomized controlled trials. The primary outcomes were trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (reported pre-bronchodilator values) and exacerbation rate. Secondary outcomes included other spirometric parameters, health-related quality of life, the overall mortality rate and adverse events. Weighted mean differences (WMDs), relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and pooled using a random effects model. Results: Eleven trials involving 9675 patients met the inclusion criteria. Roflumilast significantly reduced the mean exacerbation rate (mild, moderate or severe) (WMD = −0.23; 95% CI = −0.33 to −0.13; p < 0.00001) and improved trough FEV1 (WMD = 53.52 ml; 95% CI = 42.49 to 64.55; p < 0.00001), and other post-bronchodilator spirometric parameters (e.g., forced vital capacity, etc.). Roflumilast did not improve St George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (WMD = −0.70 units; 95% CI = −2.65 to 1.26; p = 0.49) and decrease the overall mortality rate (RR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.63 to 1.29; p = 0.56). Roflumilast increased some adverse events including diarrhea, headache, nausea, weight loss, and insomnia. Conclusions: Roflumilast significantly reduces the mean exacerbation rate in COPD patients. Although there are insufficient clinical evidence on other clinical endpoints and high risk of some adverse events, roflumilast therapy may benefit COPD patients. Further studies are needed to pay more attention to the long-term efficacy and safety of roflumilast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper deals with the eigenvalue problems for the Sturm–Liouville operators generated by the differential expression with singular coefficients in the sense of distributions. We obtain the inequalities among the eigenvalues corresponding to different self-adjoint boundary conditions. The continuity region, the differentiability and the monotonicity of the th eigenvalue corresponding to the separated boundary conditions are given. Oscillation properties of the eigenfunctions of all the coupled Sturm–Liouville problems are characterized. The main results of this paper can also be applied to solve a class of transmission problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: External knowledge, such as lexicon of words in Chinese and domain knowledge graph (KG) of concepts, has been recently adopted to improve the performance of machine learning methods for named entity recognition (NER) as it can provide additional information beyond context. However, most existing studies only consider knowledge from one source (i.e., either lexicon or knowledge graph) in different ways and consider lexicon words or KG concepts independently with their boundaries. In this paper, we focus on leveraging multi-source knowledge in a unified manner where lexicon words or KG concepts are well combined with their boundaries for Chinese Clinical NER (CNER).Material and Methods: We propose a novel method based on relational graph convolutional network (RGCN), called MKRGCN, to utilize multi-source knowledge in a unified manner for CNER. For any sentence, a relational graph based on words or concepts in each knowledge source is constructed, where lexicon words or KG concepts appearing in the sentence are linked to the containing tokens with the boundary information of the lexicon words or KG concepts. RGCN is used to model all relational graphs constructed from multi-source knowledge, and the representations of tokens from multi-source knowledge are integrated into the context representations of tokens via an attention mechanism. Based on the knowledge-enhanced representations of tokens, we deploy a conditional random field (CRF) layer for named entity label prediction. In this study, a lexicon of words and a medical knowledge graph are used as knowledge sources for Chinese CNER.Results: Our proposed method achieves the best performance on CCKS2017 and CCKS2018 in Chinese with F1-scores of 91.88% and 89.91%, respectively, significantly outperforming existing methods. The extended experiments on NCBI-Disease and BC2GM in English also prove the effectiveness of our method when only considering one knowledge source via RGCN.Conclusion: The MKRGCN model can integrate knowledge from the external lexicon and knowledge graph effectively for Chinese CNER and has the potential to be applied to English NER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Small RNAs are widespread in plants and animals. They largely include microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and they play key roles in gene and chromatin regulations. Here we describe in detail the method for an effective construction of the recently developed short tandem target mimic (STTM) technology to block small RNA functions in plants and animals. STTM is a powerful technology complementing the previous target mimic (TM) in plants and the miRNA sponge, as well as the recently defined endogenous competing RNA (CeRNA) in animals. We expect STTM will not only be effective in blocking small RNA functions in plants but will also become a popular approach in animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We introduce an exponential martingale for a Cox risk process with Poisson shot noise intensity. As applications of the exponential martingale, we obtain the sample path large and moderate deviation principles. Finally, we give an estimate of ruin probability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Interactions between the proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, and the sphingosine kinase (SPK1) inhibitor, SKI, were examined in BCR/ABL human leukemia cells. Coexposure of K562 or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells from patients to subtoxic concentrations of SKI (10μM) and bortezomib (100nM) resulted in a synergistic increase in caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis. These events were associated with the downregulation of BCR–ABL and Mcl-1, and a marked reduction in SPK1 expression. In imatinib mesylate-resistant K562 cells that displayed decreased BCR–ABL expression, bortezomib/SKI treatment markedly increased apoptosis and inhibited colony-formation in association with the downregulation of Mcl-1. Finally, the bortezomib/SKI regimen also potently induced the downregulation of BCR/ABL and Mcl-1 in human leukemia cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that combining SKI and bortezomib may represent a novel strategy in leukemia, including apoptosis-resistant BCR–ABL+ hematologic malignancies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: KAI1, a metastasis-suppressor gene belonging to the tetraspanin family, is known to inhibit cancer metastasis without affecting the primary tumorigenicity by inhibiting the epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathway. Recent studies have shown that hypoxic conditions of solid tumors induce high-level autophagy and KAI1 expression. However, the relationship between autophagy and KAI1 remains unclear. By using transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and Western blotting, we found that KAI1 can induce autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the human pancreatic cell line MiaPaCa-2. KAI1-induced autophagy was confirmed by the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and Beclin 1. KAI1 induces autophagy through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinases rather than that of AKT. KAI1-induced autophagy protects MiaPaCa-2 cells from apoptosis and proliferation inhibition partially through the downregulation of poly [adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose] polymerase (PARP) cleavage and caspase-3 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The impact of four modern fungicides JS399-19 (2-cyano-3-amino-3-phenylancryic acetate) (novel fungicide), azoxystrobin (a strobilurin), tebuconazole (a triazole) and carbendazim (a benzimidazole), applied as foliar spray at the recommended field rate, on the physiology and biochemistry of the senescence process and grain yield was studied in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. ‘Nannong No. 9918’) under natural environmental conditions. Fungicide treatments to wheat plants at growth stage [ZGS] 57 (3/4 of head emerged) significantly increased the chlorophyll (CHL) and soluble protein (SP) content and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage. Additionally, activities of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in flag leaves of the fungicide-treated plants were also higher than that in untreated plants. These coincided with elevated levels of H2O2 and reduced level of in the fungicide-treated plants. The results suggested that the fungicide-induced delay of senescence was due to an enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity protecting the plants from harmful active oxygen species (AOS). Because all fungicides can induce the delay of wheat senescence, fungicide-treated wheat shown higher grain yield than untreated wheat. Of all tested fungicides, JS399-19, azoxystrobin and tebuconazole showed similar effects on delaying senescence of wheat and enhancing the grain yield of wheat, but JS399-19 was more efficient in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new class of tests of extreme-value dependence for bivariate copulas is proposed. It is based on the process comparing the empirical copula with a natural nonparametric rank-based estimator of the unknown copula under extreme-value dependence. A multiplier technique is used to compute approximate -values for several candidate test statistics. Extensive Monte Carlo experiments were carried out to compare the resulting procedures with the tests of extreme-value dependence recently studied in Ben Ghorbal et al. (2009) and Kojadinovic and Yan (2010) . The finite-sample performance study of the tests is complemented by local power calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple and reliable analytical method for chlormequat residues in cotton and soil was established in this study. The residual levels and dissipation rates of chlormequat in cotton crops and soil were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectroscopy (HPLC–MS). The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.05, 0.1, 0.1mg/kg for soil, cotton seeds and cotton leaves, respectively. The mean half-life of chlormequat was 4.47 days in cotton plants and was 4.34 days in soil. The final residues of chlormequat in cotton seeds were below 0.5mg/kg (the MRL of China), while the chlormequat residues could not be detected in soil. Low residues in cotton seed and soil suggest that this pesticide may be safe to use under the recommended dosage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using multi-sampling methods, seeds of xerophytic species, Caragana korshinskii, Artemisia sphaerocephala, and Hedysarum scoparium were collected from semi-arid regions of northwest China, while those of Reaumuria soongorica and Zygophyllum xanthoxylum were harvested from arid regions. Seed germination in these five species was studied under water limiting conditions, imposed by increasing concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). Seeds of C. korshinskii, one of the semi-arid species, had the highest germination capacity at the most negative osmotic potential (15.0% seed germinated at −2.1 Mega Pascal (MPa), followed by H. scoparium (6.5% germinated at −1.8MPa), R. soongorica (2.2% germinated at −1.8MPa) and A. sphaerocephala (8.3% germinated at −1.5MPa). Seeds of Z. xanthoxylum, an arid habitat species, showed the least germination in response to limited water, with a germination percentage of only 5.2% at an osmotic potential of −1.2MPa. Z. xanthoxylum the species native to the most dry environments showed the highest sensitivity to water availability of all five species. This strategy is proposed as an adaptive germination mechanism of xerophytes native to arid dunes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lecanicillium attenuatum is an important nematophagous fungus with potential as a biopesticide against plant-parasitic nematodes. The Pr1A-like cuticle-degrading protease ( Cdep1 ) gene originating from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was transformed into the nematophagous fungus L. attenuatum using a polyethylene-glycol mediated protoplast-based transformation system. Protease activity was increased 0.64- to 1.63-fold 2–10 d after growth in the transformed L. attenuatum . Inhibition of egg-hatching and J2 motility of soybean cyst nematodes ( Heterodera glycines ) by cell-free fungal culture filtrates were enhanced by 17–76% 2–14 d and 43–152% 1–13 d after incubation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An -layered double hydroxides (NiAl–LDHs) precursor has been synthesized in the pores of spherical γ-Al2O3 particles. After calcination at 500°C, a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst precursor was obtained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, and temperature programmed desorption of hydrogen showed that in the material prepared by calcination of NiAl–LDHs supported on Al2O3, the NiO was characterized by higher reduction temperature, stronger interactions with Al2O3, and higher nickel dispersion compared with the NiO in a material prepared by conventional impregnation of γ-Al2O3 with an aqueous solution of Ni2+ ions followed by calcination at 500°C. The vapor phase hydrodechlorination of chlorobenzene using molecular hydrogen was studied using Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts prepared by reduction of the NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst precursors synthesized by the two different methods. Under identical reaction conditions, the Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst obtained from the LDHs precursor exhibited not only higher activity but also better stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: RAP80, a nuclear protein with two functional ubiquitin-interaction motifs (UIMs) at its N-terminus, plays a critical role in the regulation of estrogen receptor alpha and DNA damage response signaling. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 as a protein interacting with RAP80. The interaction of RAP80 with UBC9 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down analyses. The region between aa 122–204 was critical for the interaction of RAP80 with UBC9. In addition, we demonstrate that RAP80 is a target for SUMO-1 modification in intact cells. Expression of UBC9 enhanced RAP80 mono-sumoylation and also induced multi-sumoylation of RAP80. In addition to SUMO-1, RAP80 was efficiently conjugated to SUMO-3 but was only a weak substrate for SUMO-2 conjugation. These findings suggest that sumoylation plays a role in the regulation of RAP80 functions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a variable structure control (VSC) design for a chaotic symmetric gyro with linear-plus-cubic damping is considered. The results show that the stable or unstable (chaotic) nonlinear gyros can be controlled and asymptotically driven the system orbits to arbitrarily desired trajectories. Numerical simulations demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed VSC design method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Position control of impact oscillator under asymmetric double-side endstops is considered. The results show that the stable or unstable (chaotic) impact oscillators can be controlled and kept in a desired position. The proposed method is based on a feedback control force and the algorithm shows a fast convergence rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study addresses the synchronization of chaotic gyros with unknown parameters and external disturbance via adaptive sliding mode control. To achieve synchronization, a switching surface is adopted such that it becomes easy to ensure the stability of the error dynamics in the sliding mode. Then an adaptive sliding mode controller (ASMC) is derived to guarantee the occurrence of the sliding motion even when the parameters of the drive and response gyros are fully unknown. Numerical simulations are presented to verify that the synchronization can be achieved by using this ASMC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel genetic algorithm (GA) with a multi-crossover fashion to estimate the associated coefficients for a class of nonlinear discrete-time multivariable dynamical systems. Unlike the traditional crossover method of using two chromosomes, the proposed method uses three chromosomes to achieve a crossover. According to the adjusting direction by crossing three chromosomes, more excellent offspring can be produced. To solve the identification problem of multivariable nonlinear discrete-time systems, each of estimated system coefficients represents a gene, and a collection of genes is referred to as a chromosome in the view of GA. The chromosomes in the population are then evolved using the proposed multi-crossover method. An illustrative example of multivariable nonlinear systems is given to demonstrate the effectiveness, as compared with the traditional crossover method, of the proposed method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Adult height (stature), as an important parameter of human physical development, has been studied in many populations. Recently, we reported a whole genome scan of height on a sample of 630 Caucasian subjects from 53 human pedigrees. Two chromosome regions, 6q24–25 and 7q31.3–36, achieved low linkage signals (multipoint LOD score ⩽0.5), but gained significant results in the linkage studies of height by other groups. In addition, the region 6q24–25 harbors the ER-α gene, an important candidate gene for linear growth. To resolve the controversies over these two regions for height, linkage exclusion analyses were performed in an extended sample of 79 pedigrees with 1816 subjects, which include the 53 pedigrees containing 630 subjects for our previous whole genome study and additional 128 new subjects, and 26 new pedigrees containing 1058 subjects. The two regions, 6q24–25 and 7q31.3–36, were excluded at a relative effect size of 10% or greater (p value&#60;0.0005) and 5% or greater (p value&#60;0.0018), respectively. Our results suggest that the two regions may not contribute substantially to height variation in our Caucasian population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: D-type cyclins are essential for the progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Besides serving as cell cycle regulators, D-type cyclins were recently reported to have transcription regulation functions. Here, we report that cyclin D3 is a new interacting partner of vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the superfamily of nuclear receptors for steroid hormones, thyroid hormone, and the fat-soluble vitamins A and D. The interaction was confirmed with methods of yeast two-hybrid system, in vitro binding analysis and in vivo co-immunoprecipitation. Cyclin D3 interacted with VDR in a ligand-independent manner, but treatment of the ligand, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, strengthened the interaction. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that ligand-activated VDR led to an accumulation of cyclin D3 in the nuclear region. Cyclin D3 up-regulated transcriptional activity of VDR and this effect was counteracted by overexpression of CDK4 and CDK6. These findings provide us a new clue to understand the transcription regulation functions of D-type cyclins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: TNF-α has been shown to be involved in cardiac dysfunction during ischemia/reperfusion injury; however, no information regarding the status of TNF-α production in myocardial injury due to intracellular Ca2+-overload is available in the literature. The intracellular Ca2+-overload was induced in the isolated rat hearts subjected to 5min Ca2+-depletion and 30min Ca2+-repletion (Ca2+-paradox). The Ca2+-paradox hearts exhibited a dramatic depression in left ventricular developed pressure, a marked elevation in left ventricular end diastolic pressure, and more than a 4-fold increase in TNF-α content. The ratio of cytosolic to homogenate nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) was decreased whereas the ratio of phospho-NFκB to total NFκB was increased in the Ca2+-paradox hearts. All these changes due to Ca2+-paradox were significantly attenuated upon treating the hearts with 100μM pentoxifylline. These results suggest that activation of NFκB and increased production of TNF-α may play an important role in cardiac injury due to intracellular Ca2+-overload. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Shewanella putrefaciens is an important specific spoilage organism (SSO) in seafood under low-temperature storage and can form biofilms on seafood processing-related contact surfaces, which exacerbates seafood spoilage and causes food safety problems. The characterization of and dynamic change in biofilms formed by Shewanella putrefaciens on three seafood processing-related contact surfaces were investigated in this study. An effective strategy to eliminate mature biofilms by acidic electrolysis water (AEW) was provided. Shewanella putrefaciens can form biofilms on glass, stainless steel and polystyrene, which are closely connected with surface properties such as hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity and surface roughness. AEW can be an excellent choice to clean mature biofilms formed by S. putrefaciens. AEW at a concentration of 3 g/L can remove almost all biofilms on the three common food contact materials tested. There is a bactericidal effect on the biofilm, reducing the possibility of secondary contamination. This study will contribute to promoting the application of AEW for controlling biofilms during seafood processing. • Using AEW to remove biofilm of seafood spoilage organism on food contact surfaces. • The AEW (3 g/L) removes almost all biofilms on three common food contact materials. • The application of AEW in the bacterial contamination control of seafood processing was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]